Curb feeler switch



Feb. 17,1948. E. SINES CURB FEELER SWITCH Filed Dec. 29, 1944 F/g7 F 46 W Patented Feb. 17, 1948 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE mm FEELEB. swrrcn Edward Sines, Toledo, Ohio Application December 29. 1944, Serial No. 570,41; a Claims. (Cl. 200-42) This invention relates to proximity disclosing" means for a. vehicle, and more especially as to contact with a hazard.

This invention has utility when incorporated in signal means as to approach to hindrances not readily observable by the operator of a motor vehicle, and particularly to provide warning against scraping contact of tire sides, wheel hubs, fenders, or bumpers with a curb or adjacent building during parking of an automobile in a prescribed trafiic location in regard thereto Referring to the drawings:

Fig. 1 is a side view, with a portion broken away, showing an automobile equipped with the devices of the invention;

Fig. 2 is a detail view, on an enlarged scale, of one of the devices installed in Fig. fl, showing the wiring diagram therefor:

Fig. 3 is an enlarged section on the line III-EH, Fig. 2, looking in the direction oi the arrow, and showing the indicator, signal or control switch for the device;

Fig. l is a longitudinal section thru the lien ibie operating element of the device in the discotion extended oi the line IV-IV, F g. 3: the parts being in straight or normal unfiexeci position;

Fig. 5 is a side elevation of the device of Fig. 4 element, with parts broken away, and distorted into indicating or signal operating position;

Fig. 6 is a fragmentary ment of the device, bent transversely to showing in Fig. 5, showing the switch therein left open;

i s; 7 is a portion similar which would be similar to looking into the switch item the left of Fig. 4; and

Fig. 8 is a View similar to Fig. 6, with the flexing of the element continued reversely thereto, i. e, in the opposite direction for the showing in Fig. 7 to be intermediate position.

' A motor vehicle l is shown with front wheels having pneumatic tires 2, rear wheels having" pneumatic tires 3. The said wheels have hub caps 4. In the region of the front wheels are fenders 5, and oi'the rear wheels, fenders t. For a closed car just forward of the front seat or operators station is an instrument panel which may include a glove compartment having a closure or panel section 1.

' The lender 5 under portion just after the front wheel, has an inward ledge or flange t. A bolt 9 therethru provides a. ground connection to the car chassis, and simultaneously firmly mounts inward and upwardly directed rigid metal strap or arm I I.

to Fig. o, uraiexai,

showing oi the lien eleinner upper end of this arm 10 stem 12, the arm It, and the roller 2!, which is bent to direct downward. A nut H detachably assembles a stem l2 thru the eye end or opening in the upper end of the arm I Q. The stem 12 is thru a flexible rubber block or more hard bushing I 3. The bushing I! may even be of metal, or plastic, and sung]? enters a sleeve M, as a rubber or hose flexible section and shield. An adjustable strap clamp it provides a firm anchorage for the stem 12, bushing it and sleeve it to locate flexible conductor or spring extension I8 centrally in the sleeve it, to complete an electric conductor circuit therefrom thru the tender 5 to the au= tomobile body 6.

The remote or downwardly and outwardly inclined end of the flexible element or sleeve M is closed by a plug or bushing ll metal or plastic. The bushing ll is desirably rigid in itself and has anchored therewith a rod to, which may be of wire, but is preierably plastic. This plastic staff, or rod of some resilience, has formed bend portion l9 to an approximately vertical depend ing section 20 on which is rotatable a sleeve section or roller 2i, say also of plastic. While the may be oi decorative color, as may also the stem or t8, t9. 2&3, similar or contrasting, may turn the portion enlargement portions hold the section against shifting lengthwise alone the rod por tion 29.

An adjustable m t l lar to the clamp depending arm portion roller or four inches it i u:ie chassis of clearance to the nominal the tire 2, with possibly a tude for the huh cap o that the signal or indicating o the normal depending position outward beyond the outer face of the tender 2.

The two cla nos it, 23, seal the or hose tube it to form a weather tight. An opening 2o portion of the chamber it or tube it may have an inner terminal stem 21 thrust thru this opening 25. its so protruding thru the opening 25, the stem fill may %semble the ends of reinforcing strap as a wrapper about the hose l4. Then on the stem ll, nuts 29, not only clamp the strap 28 but assemble an electric conductor or wire 30 as an insulated line back tothe panel section 8 there to connect to one terminal oi. a signal or indicator. The sisnal is herein shown as a light Stout in by igniamount travel of nee lati tion switch 32. The 33, 34, from an energy source on the vehicle. as a storage battery, thereby provide circuit means to be closed or completed as the terminal 28 contacts the adjacent flexible terminal l8. It is to be noted that the mounting for the terminal 28 is flexible, while the terminal 20 itself is rigid. From this it follows that as the hose or sleeve ll be flexed one way, that is directly forward or directly rearward duringcar travel by the shoving of the roller 2|, the switch I6, 28 remains open (Figs. 6, 7, 8). However, upon the slightest inward urging of the roller 2 I whether or not such electric current supply lines inward component. At once the feeler roller 26 has its outboard location reduced, from its outot-bounds safety region tor the vehicle, there is signal to the driver or the Failure to heed the signal may damage the car. but the overiiexing section it precludes injury to the device proper.

posite ends of mounting the arm, a mounting for the member be a component of forward or rearwardtransit.

or directly inward, the switch 18, 28 (Fig. 5) is at once closed and the light ii on the dash readily discloses to the vehicle driver that the vehicle proximity to the curb, obstruction or other hazard tends possibly to scr-..pe the tire sides, mar the hub cap, or scratch the finish on the fenders. For plural signals, they are wired in parallel so that any one thereof may operate the signal.

In normal practice, the installation of a single unit of the device may be say near the forward portion of the right side of the vehicle, conveniently to operate as a guide or warning as there is such approach to the curb in parking as to flex the feeler by the roller 2i rubbing upon or rather against the side of the curb as toward the street. Theapproach or sidewise transit of the vehicle,

What is claimed and it is desired to secure by Letters Patent is:

i. A curb-approach indicator device comprising a feeler arm, a flexible cylindrical tubular insulation member having plug closures for the opthe member. one of said closures extending thru the other closure and providing electric conducting means into a chamber of the -member formed between the closures, an electric conductor spring helix extending from the conducting means mounting and providing a switch reduces the outward normal location of the roller 2!. This inward flexing component operates the switch in the flexible sleeve or tube it. An addi tional device may be located on the same side of the vehicle, say to depend from the rear fender 9. While the two might be separately wired complete as from the fenders 5, 0, to disclose to the driver whether the proximity hazard be front or rear, a wiring in parallel would merely give the general warning.

It is to be noted that the tube it allows for universal or general flexing of the feeler, for

ward, and back, inward and out. When the driving be in a field, where stubble, grass or other general upstanding objects, not necessarily a hazard to limit the lateral bounds in driving, the signal may not be heeded, and may be out out, as by loosening the light 35. 0ver rutted highways or thru snow, the normal travel direction for ward, or in backing, which may shift the feeler roller 21 parallel to the general line of direction of the chassis i, does not have any shift component to close the switch it, 20. These swings irontwise, heel; and out, mean nothing to the signal, and the mounting flexible section Miresponds with no damage to the general device. The device is, however, sensitive to shiftings or the feeler whether directly inward, or when for contact, and an additional switch contact in the chamber and mounted therein spaced from the closures and rigidly carried to extend inward from the member wall, which wall is subject to distortion in response to movement of the arm relatively to the member mounting closure to disturb the relation between the switch contacts for making and breaking electric circuit.

2]. A signal comprising a rigid contact, and .iiormally spaced therefrom a yieldable contact, a cylindrical tubular hose section forming a chamber housing and providing mounting intermediate the section extent for one of the contacts, a clo sure for one end of the section providing mounting for the section and the other contact, and a close the contacts.

W SINES.

REFERENCES CHER) The following references are of record in the die of this patent:

STATES PATENTS Number Name Date 2,012,539 Maas Aug. 27, 1935 2,243,497 Bougee May 27, 1941 2,084,939 Byron June 22, 1937 2,302,283 Yarnall Nov. 17, 1942 2,259,614: Chang Oct. 21, 1941 1,709,400 Hess Apr. 16, 1929 2,060,771 Kempi Nov. 10, 1938 2,144,187 Ketch 'Jan. 17, 1939 2,208,697 Kemodle et al. July 23, 19% 2,270,687 Morse Jan. 20, 1942 FOREIGN PATENTS it'umber Country Date France "um-n-.. Mar. 4, 1935 

